1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technologies for attaching vehicles via a fifth wheel hitch system. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for coupling a trailer or other vehicle to a towing vehicle via a fifth wheel hitch configuration, regardless of the angular relationship between the trailer and the towing vehicle.
2. Background and Related Art
Fifth wheel hitch designs include a coupling device mounted to the towing vehicle, and a compatible coupling pin or king pin located on the trailer. The fifth wheel hitch connection is made by carefully aligning the king pin and the coupling device such that the king pin engages the coupling device.
Many difficulties exist with current fifth wheel hitch systems. For example, the process of properly aligning the king pin and the coupling device requires that the trailer and the towing vehicle be generally aligned in the same horizontal and vertical planes. This process of aligning can be quite complicated, especially where terrain upon which the vehicles are located is uneven or otherwise non-ideally situated. Thus, a consumer is limited in when and where the hitch system can be used.
Additionally, current fifth wheel hitch designs are based upon commercial needs by the trucking industry and are therefore ill-suited for recreational use by average consumers. Thus, where a consumer desires the use of a fifth wheel hitch system, the consumer is required to inconveniently modify their towing vehicle to incorporate heavy and bulky equipment ideally suited for semi trucks or other commercial grade vehicles. These modifications and systems are expensive, bulky and difficult to setup and remove. As such, the consumer is dissuaded from removing the system from their towing vehicle consequently losing alternative uses of their towing vehicle due to the presence of the fifth wheel hitch equipment.
Thus, while fifth wheel hitch systems and techniques currently exist, challenges still exist. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.